2 dead in flash floods as coastal residents demand urgent embankment repairs

Repeated natural disasters continue to devastate coastal communities due to the lack of adequate embankments or delays in repairing damaged sections. Residents living in the affected areas insist that immediate restoration of broken embankments is crucial to protect their lives and livelihoods.

Every day, embankment-free areas are flooded twice submerging villages, homes, farmland, and crops. This ongoing crisis has heightened calls for durable embankments, which residents say are more critical than temporary relief aid.

On Friday, May 30, heavy rainfall and flash floods caused by a low-pressure system inundated over 50 coastal villages across the upazilas of Maheshkhali, Kutubdia, Pekua, Chakaria, and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar.

Two people lost their lives in the flooding, and thousands were stranded for two days due to rising hill torrents and tidal waters. The floods severely damaged numerous dirt and semi-paved roads, small culverts, and bridges. Thousands of acres of seedbeds, crops, and fish farms were also wiped out overnight.

The extent of the devastation is now evident.

Motaleb Hossain of Suturia village in Dhalghata union, Maheshkhali, said that, “We received no advance warning or disaster alert. When the embankment broke, water flooded in, and I was afloat in chest-deep water for hours until my son rescued me by boat. I had to leave my home and belongings behind and seek shelter with relatives in another village. I returned after two days to start repairing my house.”

He added that no aid has yet reached the affected families.

Zaynab Bibi of Saraitola village lamented, “We are poor, and these storms only add to our suffering. Broken embankments are never repaired. We feel abandoned as no government officials come to assist us.”

According to local administration, 6,484 families were trapped by floodwaters in this disaster. Seven families suffered complete damage to their homes, while 517 houses were partially damaged.

The Water Development Board reported damage to embankments measuring 1.04 kilometers (including 216 meters fully damaged) in Kutubdia, 905 meters in Maheshkhali, 1.6 kilometers in Chakaria, and 200 meters in Varuakhali, Sadar upazila.

Executive Engineer Nurul Islam stated that repair work is underway and expected to be completed by June 20 using emergency funds.

District Commissioner Mohammad Salahuddin confirmed that immediate relief, including 200,000 taka in cash and 24 metric tons of rice, has been distributed to affected families.